North and South : A Spooks fanfic
by siriuslygrednforge
Summary: Lucas North and Lauren South are Section Chiefs at MI5 and MI6 respectively. A case that brings them together changes the course of their lives. Will they be able to find a way back? It's got nothing to do with 'North and South' the TV show (who am I kidding, both of them have got Richard Armitage as their leads).
1. Prologue

_Lauren tugged at Hugo's leash as he tried to chase an alley cat. She liked the calmness of the night, though she missed London. It didn't make a difference to her since she liked to live alone, except for the fact that she had Hugo for company. It had been two years since Moscow and she never regretted her decision to leave her old life."Come on Hugo, leave the cat alone. Let's go" she said, tugging at his leas and walked towards her apartment._

_ "You told me he would be here by 11.30 Harry. Where is he?" Lucas spoke angrily into the phone as he waited for the asset to come. He had been waiting for the past 30 minutes for the man to come with an important memory stick, which seemed to contain some vital information about their new case - something involving the FSB, CIA and MI6."He must have got stuck somewhere Lucas, have patience" Lucas heard Harry say." Harry, this is Cardiff, not London. People don't get stuck in some work here" That was when he saw her._

_ "I'll call you back"Lucas said as he shut his phone. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was as if he had seen a ghost, someone he thought to be dead. Lauren stood shocked. It had been eight years since she had last seen him. She could feel the memories returning. She turned away, pulling onto Hugo's leash, who seemed to be barking loudly. She tried not to look back. Lucas could feel a lump rise in his throat. He ran, determined to not lose her this time. It had been eight years since he had last seen her and she was the reason he survived that horrible time in Russia. And now he would not let her go..._


	2. Chapter 1

"Here you go Lucas, sign them" Elizaveta said, handing him the divorce papers."Elizaveta stop being stubborn. You have to trust me. Everything you see is not the way it is. I really want this marriage of ours to work. Please listen to me Elizaveta, I love you,"Lucas said. He had not expected her to do this. It had been just a year since they had got married. The first few months were just pure bliss, but after that, they had started quarrelling about every single thing. Mostly because of Lucas. It wasn't his fault actually.

Elizaveta had started acting suspicious. She always thought that Lucas was cheating on her, but in reality, he wasn't. Every single time he came home late from work, she would start asking him questions, Which would lead to fights. No matter how hard he tried to convince her about his faithfulness, she didn't seem to care. Lucas couldn't even tell her the reason why he came home so late or why he had to go out of town often. It was because he was the Chief of Section D in the MI-5. He couldn't tell her that he was a spy. He knew this was going to happen if he got married, but he was ready to take the risk. Little did he know that it would not work.

"I'm sorry Lucas, but I guess this is the end. We should have known this was coming" Elizaveta replied,"Take your time, but please sign them. I can't bear this trouble anymore".She pushed the papers across the table where he was sitting. Lucas got up without saying a word, grabbed his car keys and slammed the door behind him as he left for work. She had talked to him about getting a divorce a week ago, but he did not expect her to really do that. He knew it was useless trying to make her understand. Lucas turned on the radio, but even Radiohead couldn't help to get those thought out of his mind.

As he reached The Grid, Tom came up to him and told him that Harry wanted to talk to him, urgently. Lucas groaned, this was the last thing he wanted to have that morning. He walked into Harry's office, only to find Harry and a young woman sitting there, obviously waiting for him."Good morning Lucas,you are late but it doesn't matter. Anyways, this is Lauren South, your counterpart at MI6" Harry said, while looking at the woman. Lucas looked at her. She seemed to be of his age. She was dressed in a black blouse and jeans. She wore round glasses, which made her look a bit intelligent. She wasn't that pretty, but there was something about her that Lucas found arresting. He stretched his hand out to shake her, followed by a "Nice to meet you"."Now, can you tell me what is going on Harry?" Lucas asked him. Harry could see that he was in a bad mood. Harry knew about the situation Lucas was in, as he had to go through the same thing when he was married.

"We, I mean the people here at MI6 have got reports about a few rogue FSB agents trying to plan an attack on the city during the UK-Russia peace talks." Lauren spoke " And according to the Home Secretary, it is quite risky since these agents have been planning these attacks very well and he does not want to take any chances. Which means that both the departments have to work together. Also, we cannot tell this to anyone, since we suspect someone from either 5 or 6 being involved in these attacks ". "As Lauren said, it's really risky and it's better if we collaborate" Harry said. Lucas knew that Harry was not happy about working alongside Jools Siviter, Harry's counterpart at 6."Why don't you and Lauren talk about it. It 's better if we get started right now, since we only have a week" Harry continued. Lucas and Lauren nodded. As they got up, Harry gave Lucas sympathetic look, Lucas understood what Harry meant to say.

"So, since we cannot discuss this matter in here, where do we go?" Lauren asked him."Let's just take a walk", Lucas said, as they walked out of the door.


	3. Chapter 2

"You are Hugo Prince's daughter, aren't you?" Lucas asked Lauren, who was taking a bite out of her sandwich."If that's how people know me, then yes. I am Hugo Prince's daughter" Lauren replied."But then, why is your last name...". "South? It's because he left us for another woman, Connie James. After that, I used my mother's name."Lauren continued "It's not like I hate him for that, it's just that I didn't trust Connie". She didn't know why had told him that, probably because they would be working together. But then, it seemed irrelevant to tell him about her personal life. After all, it had been just half an hour since they had met. 

"I'm sorry about that. It's just that Harry keeps talking about you sometimes. All I know is that your father and Harry were good friends. Plus, you two get along very well." Lucas said. He had noticed Harry's warm behaviour towards Lauren that morning, leading him to think that they knew each other, Harry probably being a family friend. "Harry talks about you a LOT. I mean, he is always telling me to be like you." Lauren said " I was looking forward to meeting you today, after all the things I had heard from Harry about the Legendary Lucas North"."I'm not legendary, besides I didn't know Harry thought of me that way" Lucas replied. Harry was like a father figure for Lucas. It was Harry's training and guidance that had brought him to that level. And Lucas was grateful to Harry for it. 

"Alright now, let's get back to the case. So what leads have you got?" Lucas asked Lauren, who finished eating her sandwich. " We have got the names of the three agents - Ivan Merkulov, Sergei Korshunov and Nikolai Galerkin. Case officers. Have been on the run for the past 2 weeks. We have asked FSB to provide us with all the information about these three. However, they don't seem to have any kind of information, except for this transcript, because of which we came to know about their plan" Lauren said, showing Lucas the photographs of the three men. The first one was of a thin man with a crooked nose, the second one was a bit short with a scar near his right eye and the third one was tall and pale, with blonde hair."Any leads after that?" Lucas asked."As I said, not much is known about their plan, save for the fact that they are expected to meet their handler in a matter of two days, near the Audley End. We need to keep an eye out. And as I had said, I suspect someone from 5 or 6 to be involved in this thing. So stay alert and please do not tell this to anyone, except for Tom Quinn, since you seem to trust him so much." Lauren replied. 

Lucas stared at her."What?" Lauren asked him."Your nose" Lucas replied."My nose? What do you mean 'my nose'?" Lauren asked him again. "It's got ketchup on it" Lucas said, trying to suppress a giggle."Bloody hell! Why am I such a messy eater?!" Lauren said, wiping her nose with her handkerchief."Sorry about that" Lucas said, sill trying to control his laughter. She was talking to him about the case all the time and he just couldn't get past the ketchup on her nose, though he did manage to listen what she was saying. Finally, both of them laughed, for what seemed an eternity. They managed to calm down after realizing people were starting to stare at them. 

"I really need to get going. Here's my number, if you wish to ask anything about the case" Lauren said, handing him a piece of paper."And don't stay gloomy. You've got a nice smile and I don't think anything should bother you right now" Lucas didn't know what to say. He managed to mumble a "Thanks" and watched as she left. He didn't know why but he seemed to like her. There was something about her that just baffled him, like the ability of staying so calm after all she had gone through as a child. He began to feel bad about his own situation, except he was not the one who ended it. He headed towards the Grid, trying to get those thoughts out of his head, only trying to keep Lauren's words about his smile in his mind.


	4. Chapter 3

Lucas felt a new sense of freedom after inhaling the scent of his old flat - where he lived before getting married to Elizaveta. It had been two days since he had moved out of their house and it was finally today that he managed to set the place up properly. Lucas liked to keep things simple and minimalistic.. He heard the door-bell ring and was surprised to find Lauren there, with a bouquet of flowers in her hand."These are for the house" she told him as she sat on the couch."I thought of dropping by, since Harry told me you were busy. Anyways, as I had told you earlier, the three agents are supposed to be meeting their handler at Audley End House around 4 - 4.30 pm." she told him. "Great, so what is the plan of action?" he asked her. "Well, we go there, intercept them and tell them to give us the details of he operation. Plus, we won't be returning them to the FSB" 

"That would be the last thing we would do" Lucas said as he wore his jacket. "Actually, I was kind of hungry. Do you mind if we go and grab a quick bite somewhere?" Lucas asked her."Sure!" Lauren replied. They grabbed their coats and soon headed arrived at a restaurant near Audley End House, just so they could keep a watch over what was going on and at the same time, have some food."This is really good" Lucas said, taking a bite."Dad and I used to come here often" Lauren replied "I don't know why he left us for that woman. Mum became depressed after he left and at times I had to stay with my grandparents." Lauren replied "It's funny how we became such good friends in just two days, I mean, I can tell you about my childhood, something which I never do" 

"I am always there if you wish to share anything" Lucas said to her."Oh, so you have already moved on. I should have known about it" he heard a voice say. Lucas turned behind to see Elizaveta glaring at him."Elizaveta , it's not what you are and I were discussing work" he replied. Lauren felt awkward, she wanted to tell Elizaveta the truth but at the same time, she didn't want to complicate the situation. She glanced out of the window and spotted three men walking towards a tree. They have come, she thought. She watched as Elizaveta broke into tears and Lucas tried to calm her down. Lauren didn't know how to tell him about the men. 

She kicked his leg. Lucas stared at her with a confused expression until he realized she was telling him about the three agents. Just then, Elizaveta's friend took her away before the matter worsened. Lucas and Lauren quickly paid the bill and ran towards the tree, she had managed to alert the units at 5 and 6 about the men during Elizaveta and Lucas' argument. So by the time they reached there, the teams were there, Tom had already shot Korshunov. Lucas was angry with him but he understood why he did that, as Korshunov had tried to kill Tom. The other men began to run, with Lucas, Tom and the rest of the team behind them. Lauren too was going to chase them but she stopped as she saw a dead body near the tree. Anton Smith, she read when she checked his wallet. She kept the wallet with herself. 

When she caught up with the others, she saw that Galerkin had been and Melurkov had been caught. But Melurkov had been stabbed by Galerkin and was losing a lot of blood. Lucas looked tired and upset and Lauren had told him to cheer up. Tom and the rest of the team put Galerkin in the van, since Melurkov had died a few moments . They drove to the Grid to get all the answers to their questions.


	5. Chapter 4

"Did he say anything Adam?" Lauren asked Adam Carter, the case officer interrogating Galerkin. "Not much, he kept saying something in Russian, about something called Cerberus. According to him, there's a mole at 5 as well as 6. I asked him for the names, he kept his mouth shut". "Shit" Lucas swore when Adam finished speaking. "Thanks Adam, we'll try again" Lauren said "By tomorrow, he should tell us what Cerberus is and who the moles are" . "Good job, Lauren." Jools said, giving Lauren her coat "And you too, Lucas. I suggest both of you should get some rest . Let's see what happens tomorrow" Harry said."I'll tell the Home Secretary that there is nothing to worry about. At least for now" Jools said, while Harry looked at him irritatedly. He knew Jools would make it look like it were his officers who managed to catch those men, whereas it was both the departments who did it. 

"I'm sorry about today, you know, the situation with Elizaveta. I hope you don't mind." Lucas said as he and Lauren waited for the lift. "It's fine. It's not your fault, Lucas. It was just the wrong time, that's it. It's not like we messed up everything" Lauren replied."I really wonder what exactly Cerberus is." Just then, the lift opened with a short, brown haired woman coming out. Lauren stiffened, her face became cold."Hello Lauren" the woman said."Hello Connie" Lauren replied in a bitter voice and went inside the moment Connie came out. Lucas looked at Lauren, a moment ago, she had a warm and reassuring expression, which had changed to a cold one. She really hates her, he thought." I suppose today is quite an awkward day for both of us", Lauren said."You, Lauren South, will always be a mystery for me" Lucas said."And you too, Lucas North" Lauren replied "I did a background check on you, your mum died when you were 13 and your father died when you were 15. Plus, your wife left you three days ago and you never managed to show it.I'm in awe". Lucas didn't know what to say 

."I was wondering, whether we could meet tomorrow. You know, for lunch,maybe?" he asked her when they reached the car park."That...sounds cool. Let me know when we should meet" Lauren felt strange and happy at the same time. She fell in love with Lucas the moment she met him and as she got to know him, she really felt that he was wonderful because she never went out with many people. The last person she had gone out with was Adam, but it was only once and they decided to keep their relationship professional, though they had become really good friends. 

Lucas found the house empty when he got home. He was used to living with Elizaveta, but strangely, he did not think of her. The only person on his mind was Lauren. He made himself a sandwich and sat alone, flipping through the channels. He found it funny that he couldn't get his mind off two days after separating from his wife and he already fell in love with someone! He couldn't believe himself.

Lauren was also thinking about the same thing. She found it difficult to trust people after what happened with her parents and was scared to fall in love. Lucas made it seem so easy that she just couldn't push the thought of them together him away


	6. Chapter 5

"Busy day?" Lucas asked Lauren as she sat down."Kind of. Jools has been running thorough background checks on everyone after what Galerkin said about Cerberus and has interrogated me twice. The fool has practically seen me grow and he thinks that I, of all people, should be a part of some stupid organization." Lauren replied "What about you?"."Did some research on it. Turns out that it's made of three members" Lucas said."Like Hades' dog who has three heads" Lauren said." Those three members are from FSB,MI5 and MI6. It began in the 60s as some pathetic attempt to gain control over the world, obviously keeping the USA out of it." Lucas continued "But the thing that bothers me is that why did they have to try to bomb the UK-Russia talks?"Lauren asked. 

"I don't know, probably to create a diversion. Harry's more careful, though he doesn't suspect me." Lucas answered as he dug into his food."Is that the TARDIS?" he asked Lauren, referring to her car keys."It was a gift from him, my Dad. He knew I was a big fan of Doctor Who and he gave it to me on my 16th birthday." Lauren replied "He loved me a lot. People used to think he was a traitor to this country. Jools thought that way, but Harry knew he was innocent, so did Richard Dolby and a few other people. Though the charges against him were dropped, people still thought he was one. It was Richard Dolby who thought I was capable of being the Section Chief. And though Jools hated my father, he is good to me." 

Lucas held her hands when he saw her eyes water at her father's mention. He had come across Hugo Prince's name while researching on Cerberus, but it was proven that he was framed."One of the reasons I took this job was to find his person who planned the accident."Lauren said."And I'll always be there when you need me" Lucas said. They talked a bit more about work and after half an hour, left back for work. 

"It felt really nice talking to you Lucas" Lauren said."I should do this more often" he replied, giving her a smile. Just then, Lucas heard someone move behind the trees. He gripped Lauren's hand tightly, signalling her to keep quiet. He slowly pulled his gun out and turned . Lucas heard two gun shots - Lauren had fired at the man and was quick enough to shoot the second one. She rushed to him and asked him to tell him who had sent the shooters. He gripped Lauren's hand and ran towards his car."Lucas, I really don't know who sent them?" Lauren said, settling down. She was shocked and stunned as to who would try to kill them. The whole thing was too unexpected."How did they find us? Did you tell anyone about our meeting today and where we were going?" Lucas asked. He was equally shocked."I swear I don't know what's going on.I didn't tell anyone about this" Lauren looked around, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity. 

"Take off your coat" he told Lauren."My coat?" she asked him "Do you think we are being tracked?"."Since we were the only people who knew about our meeting, yes. I think we are being tracked." Lucas took Lauren's coat and tried to look for a tracker, which he found under the hood. He pulled it out to show it to show her. Lauren's face had gone white, her mind unable to register what was going on."Harry, someone just tried to kill us, that's me and Lauren. We had planned to meet for lunch and someone had placed a tracking device on Lauren's coat. We were attacked by two gunmen but we managed to escape." Lucas told Harry."How is Lauren?" Harry asked him."She's fine but shocked. We'll be coming down to the Grid with the tracker. Malcolm would be able to take a look at the tracking device and we'll see what to do next" Lucas replied and shut his phone. 

"It's fine Lauren, I'm is fine" he tried to calm her down "We'll go back to The Grid and give the tracker to Malcolm as well as see what to do now".Lauren felt a bit better but she was still in shock. After reaching The Grid, Lucas gave Malcolm the device while Lauren sat in Harry's cabin, sipping some chocolate."She is not safe Harry, someone is trying to kill her. I think that that someone is probably the person who planned her father's death." Lucas said "I don't think she should go back"."You're right. We can't keep her in a safe house. Someone has to be there to protect her, someone like you.I hope you won't mind if Lauren stays at your place till everything is sorted out" Harry didn't know what to do. He looked at Lauren, who fiddled with her TARDIS key ring." Fine. She stays with me. But someone has to get her stuff from her house."he replied."I'll send Nicole to do that. Till then, you take her home and stay there. If I'll need anything, I'll call you."Harry told him. 

"Are you sure about this Lucas?" Lauren asked him."Yes I am. Nicole will get your stuff. You don't have to worry about anything." he told her. Lucas could see she was feeling a bit awkward about it but even she knew that she had to stay safe.


	7. Chapter 6

Lauren munched on her sandwich as Lucas gave her the set of instructions - feel free to use anything and give him a call if she needed anything. He arranged her clothes in his wardrobe and asked her if she needed anything. Lauren looked through his book collection."Since when did you read Harry Potter?" she asked him."I saw it during grocery shopping. It 's brilliant." he replied. "I know, I've read it too.I hope it has a sequel." Lauren said."The bath is ready, Your Majesty" Lucas said. Lauren laughed and went to enjoy the bath Lucas had prepared for her. 

Lucas saw a family picture of The Prince family. He could see a tall, handsome man (must be her father, Lucas thought), a tall,brown haired woman with a warm smile and a seven year old girl with glasses. She looked almost like her mother's copy, except for her eyes - she had her father's eyes. Lucas kept the photo down and went to prepare dinner. 

"I wish I could cook like you, Lucas. The food's amazing!" Lauren said."Enjoy it while you can Miss South, I won't mind if you want me to be your personal chef" Lucas said with a smile. Lucas felt better after watching Lauren smile. Though he couldn't understand why someone would try to kill her. 

"I'll be sleeping on the couch. Call me if you need anything" he told Lauren."I don't mind if you sleep on the bed, it's big enough for both of us. I mean, it's your house.I should be the one sleeping on the couch" she replied."Only if you don't mind." Lucas told her. He knew sleeping on the sofa would break his back by the next day. He sat on the bed and watched Lauren read a few chapters of Crime and Punishment and went to sleep. 

Lauren couldn't sleep. She stared at the clock. It was 3 o'clock in the middle of the night. She turned to see Lucas sleeping beside saw him, with no sign of fear on his face. She got up to drink some water. Lauren tried to sleep again but she couldn't get the day's events out of her mind. She got up and looked at her family picture, wiped the tear off the frame and kept it close to her chest and sobbed silently, wondering why someone would try to do such a pathetic thing. She remembered how her mother would coax her after a nightmare. She continued sobbing until she felt someone tap her shoulder."What happened?" Lucas asked wiped her tears."Nothing, just a nightmare." she wrapped her in his arms."You don't have to worry about anything, Lauren.I'm always there for you" he told brushed a tear off her cheek."Try not to think of anything now, just relax" he told her as he laid her down to sleep ."Thanks Lucas" Lauren said."You don't have to thank me relax and go to sleep." he said, gently putting his arm around her. 

"You don't have to come today home with Lauren, she needs a friend like 's here, so you don't have to worry about anything" Lucas heard Harry say as he saw Lauren turn in her had made sure she got a peaceful sleep last was the first time he had seen her cry and he thought he would never want to see made eggs for breakfast and laid them on the table as he saw Lauren come."Thanks for last night" she told him."That's what friends are for" Lucas replied, getting the juice from the of them felt weird after that had realized that their relationship had gone far beyond friendship."Anyways, enjoy the breakfast" Lucas said, trying to change the topic."Lucas, I wanted to talk to you about something. About us." Lauren told him."After last night, I finally came to terms with the fact that I'm in love with you, judging by how much I trust you as well as need you. I don't know if you feel the same about me, if you don't, I won't mind. It's just that I don't want to spoil our friendship" Lauren said. But as soon as she had said this, she felt his lips crash into hers. It was sudden, the kiss, but she felt herself getting lost in it. After they pulled out, Lucas gave her a smile."Well actually, even I had been thinking about this for some time.I know it's quite quick to fall in love with someone but I couldn't help it. I thought you might find it weird but luckily, you didn't . I love you Lauren" he said, holding her blushed."I love you too Lucas" she replied "but promise me one thing - we'll still remain friends if this doesn't work out"."Who said it won't work out?!" he said, leaning in to kiss her again.


	8. Chapter 7

Lauren and Lucas spent the whole day talking - trying to get to know each other all, it had been less than a week since they had met each other. And just when they had finished making love, the bell rang. Both of them put their clothes on, Lucas heading out to check who it was. He grabbed the kitchen knife and held it behind his back, in case it was another attacker. To his surprise, it was Harry. 

"You don't seem pleased to see me Lucas" Harry said, hanging his coat on the rack."You know how the situation is" he replied. Lauren came felt relieved to see Harry. 

"Lucas, Philip Watson is dead" Harry told him. Lucas was shocked. Philip was one of the most senior as well as respected officers in the MI5. "But how?" he asked Harry."He tried to kill Galerkin. In fact, Galerkin's dead too. They died of poisoning. Connie was the one who saw them." Harry replied "Amd the worst part is, Philip was a part of Cerberus. He was the mole" 

Lucas didn't know what to say, he had not expected a man like Philip Watson to turn out to be a traitor. Lauren was shocked as well."It can't be him. I knew him, Harry. He was one of the most loyal people I knew. He was one of the people who believed in my father's innocence." she said."I know Lauren, but we have proof. He showed her a photograph."Anton Smith" Lauren said "He was the handler for the three men." she told later, Lauren appeared with Smith's wallet."He had been shot dead the day we caught Galerkin." she said, giving the wallet to Harry."I know I should have handed it over but I wasn't sure about it." 

"Doesn't matter.I'll look into job" Harry said "I really don't know why you had to join Six"."Neither do I" Lauren was Jools who saw the potential spy in her when she was just a Psychology student. 

"The good thing about you, Lauren, is that you don't have the word 'emotions' in your me for being blunt, but it's a fact you and I both what happened in your childhood, you learnt to take things practically as well as to distance yourself from others. I don't know whether you like it, but I think you will make a good spook," Jools told her after the seminar "If this is the last thing I can do for my friend's daughter.I think Hugo would have liked it if he were alive". Lauren was surprised at Jools' offer, but saw it as an opportunity to find her father's killer as well as to prove herself. 

"If only you had come to the seminar instead of Jools, Lucas wouldn't have been your Section Chief" she said to Harry."Speaking of Jools, does he know she's here?" Lucas asked Harry."Not yet, but I told him that she is at an MI5 safehouse. I don't want to take chances, even if it means lying to her after what happened with Philip." Harry replied "Anyways, I need to get going. JIC wants to have a talk with me regarding Philip's care Lauren." 

"Thank you Harry, it felt nice talking to you." Lauren Harry had left, Lucas secured the door."What is it with you and Harry Pearce?" he asked her."He is my mum's cousin,the only person I consider family." Lauren replied "I don't want him to know about us, though.I think it will be wise to tell him later"."Yeah.I was thinking of it too" Lucas said. No wonder he's constantly worried about her, Lucas thought. From what he knew about Harry, his wife had left him, his son had wasted away and his daughter didn't talk to him. So Lauren was the only family he had. 

"And if I ever hurt you, Harry will kill me,right?" he said to Lauren, whose head was now on his chest, their bodies entwined."Probably, but Harry loves you like you're his son" she replied "You don't know how much he talks about you". A smile crept on Lucas' face. Harry had been the closest thing to a father for him too. It felt nice to know that Harry thought of him the same way. He watched as Lauren slowly drifted off to sleep in his arms, his fingers running through her had never thought he would fall in love so soon. And fall in love with someone like Lauren, who was completely different from Elizaveta. Lucas took a last look at Lauren's face, kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.


	9. Chapter 8

Lucas woke up to find himself alone. For a moment, he thought something had happened to Lauren. Just then, he felt the familiar tap on his fingers and turned around to see Lauren standing, wearing a white shirt and black jeans. "Please don't tell me it is what I think it is" he said. 

"Well...Why don't we talk about it over breakfast!" Lauren said. Lucas shook his head and went to take a shower while she went to the kitchen. 

"Lauren, you don't have to do this" Lucas said as he finished his coffee. "What do you think I should do then? As much as I would love to, I can't stay like this. Besides, I get bored sitting and doing nothing." Lauren said,picking up the plates."Fine. But I'll drive you there" Lucas said. 

"And call me if you need anything. Even if you don't need anything" Lucas said as he finished his list of instructions. Lauren laughed. "What?" Lucas asked her. "Nothing. You really need to stop worrying about me. I'll be fine" she replied. "Stay safe." he said "I love you". "I love you too" she said and kissed him. Lucas waited there till he saw Lauren get inside the building and drove off to Thames House. 

"Lauren! Where were you?" Jools asked her as she entered his office. "I'm fine, Jools. I suppose Harry had told you that I was kept in one of their safe houses" she replied. "Yes he did". Anyways, I've got news for you." Jools said. "We found the mole"."What? Who was it?" she asked. "Anton Smith. A former MI6 agent, he was turned by the FSB ten years ago when he was sent to Moscow. He was presumed dead, until you found him." Jools continued " He had been living under the false identity of Darius Cole, working as a mediator between 'their' mole and FSB, though he did not operate directly, like a mole is supposed to be."

"And he carried his old passport as an ID proof" Lauren said."Exactly" Jools replied " Now, we don't have anything to worry about. Good job Lauren. And pass on this message to Mr. North, the next time you meet him"."I will" Lauren said as she stepped out of the office. Somehow, it didn't seem right, but then both Harry and Jools were firm about it. 

"How did it go?" Lauren heard a voice say. She turned around to find Lucas standing with a box of chocolate donuts. Lauren couldn't help but smile. "Good. How about you?" she asked." Boring. I'm starving" he said. "So am I" she said. 

"Lauren, stop thinking about it" Lucas said as he saw Lauren's serious face. "It just doesn't seem right. We've got proof but somehow, the pieces don't seem to fit together." she replied. "I understand. Let's see what happens next. But for now, just relax" Lucas said "Or else I might finish your share of donuts"."Just give it a try" Lauren said, grabbing a donut from the box. 

"Why do you have to leave now?" Lauren said as she saw Lucas check his bags. "I told you I will be getting instructions from Harry and I don't know much about what's going on." Lucas replied. "I don't like this. This could have been our first proper Christmas, which has never happened in the past two years." Lauren said. "I know that. But I promise you, I'll be back soon." Lucas said, taking Lauren's hands in his own. "Just wait for me" he said and leaned in to kiss her. It had a sense of urgency, as though it would be the last time they would be ever getting a moment like this. There had been many such situations, but this time, it was different. "I love you" she said as their lips parted." I love you too" Lucas said, cupping her face with his hands and planting a kiss on her forehead. 

The moment was destroyed by the sound of Lucas' cell phone. He gave Lauren an apologetic look while she told him to go and get it. Must be Harry, she thought as she saw him argue on the phone. It had been two years since they got together but the love wasn't lost, despite of both of them being busy in their work, which included life-threatening situations.

"You might want to kill me now" Lucas said. "I'm going to kill Harry" Lauren said. "I'm so sorry Lauren, I don't know why he's sending me early but I promise you I'll be back soon" Lucas said. She gave him a hug and watched as he left the house. She looked the through the window to see Lucas waving at her and she waved back. 

"What happened Harry?" Lauren asked Harry. It was 3 am and they were sitting in his office. Harry couldn't bear to look into her eyes. He himself was shocked by what had happened. "Lauren...the thing is" Harry said " Lucas has been compromised. The Russians have got him.". He saw the colour draining off her face, her eyes welling up. "I'm sorry" he said. 

"Bring him back" Lauren muttered "BRING HIM BACK!".She threw the glass of water on the floor. "Harry, I don't know how you're going to do it but I want my Lucas back" she said. Lauren was shattered. She looked at Harry, who was equally upset. "I'm working on it" Harry replied. "Why did you send him?" Lauren asked after some time. 

She collapsed in her chair when she heard Harry's answer - Cerberus.


	10. Chapter 9

2008 

Lauren could feel the lightness of the rain as she tried to return home. Part of her wanted to get home as soon as possible, the other part wanted to run into Lucas' arms and melt in his embrace. She pulled up the hood of her raincoat and walked. "Where do you think you are going, leaving e in the rain?" she heard someone say. She saw Lucas walking beside her. The rain became harsh. "Sorry about that"' Lauren said. She felt embarrassing in front of him. "Apology accepted" Lucas replied. They walked for five more minutes till they reached Lauren's flat. 

"Home sweet home." Lauren said, opening the door. Hugo ran inside, the leash hooked on to him while Lauren removed her rain coat. She took it and Lucas' jacket and hung them on the stand. "You are drenched" she said, looking at Lucas "And I don't think I have anything for you to change into. But let me check. Till then, you can dry yourself in the bathroom". Lucas nodded and headed towards the bathroom. After making sure he was out of sight, Lauren went inside the kitchen. She took a deep breath and drank some water. She was still in shock. Of all the people, she was seriously not expecting to bump into Lucas North. Nonetheless, it really was a 'pleasant surprise', she thought. 

She went inside and rummaged through her wardrobe. After five minutes, she found Lucas' black t-shirt. She had kept that, along with a few of his pictures and his journal, with herself as memories of their relationship. Sometimes, she would wear it to sleep, just to feel his presence. She laid out the clothes on the bed and went back to the kitchen to make some hot cocoa. 

"Now I know what happened to my t-shirt" Lauren heard Lucas say. She looked up to find him leaning at the wall with his hands in his pockets, his hair damp. She poured the cocoa into two mugs. "Well, you know me" she replied and laid the mugs on the table. Lauren sat down on the sofa and took a sip of the cocoa, reeling in its warmness. "This is good" Lucas said, taking a sip from his mug.

There was an awkward silence between them. After what seemed an eternity, Lucas said " I think we should talk about what happened tonight". "Lauren nodded. "You first" she said. 

"Alright" Lucas said. "Harry had sent me to Russia to bring back Arkady Kachimov, Cerberus' FSB agent. I was caught, someone had tipped me off. I was sent to Lushanka prison, for eight years" Lucas said. He took another sip of the cocoa. " I was tortured for information. About something called Sugarhorse. I had known nothing about it, back then. I had met Kachimov many times during interrogations. He was a genius, a very ruthless one. I had no hopes of coming back home until Harry brought me back last year." Lucas continued "I was told that you were dead. I was not expecting that. Also, I blamed Harry for whatever happened in Russia. Actually, it was Connie James' fault." Lucas saw Lauren's jaw tighten at the mention of Connie's name. He rubbed the back of her palm with his thumb. "She's dead" he said " Harry sent me here to meet a man who had intel on Cerberus' further activities. He has a memory stick which has all the information. I was waiting for him to turn up but instead of meeting him, I met you." 

Lauren looked into Lucas' eyes. She could see that he was almost in tears. She took a sip of her cocoa. "My turn" she said "A year after you were gone, I left the MI6. I couldn't get anything right and Jools was acting strange, really strange. It was then that Harry approached me and recruited me into MI5. Two years later, there was this case related to Tiresias, the Russian spy network in the UK. I begged Harry to send me to Moscow, I thought there was a chance of getting you out of there". Lauren took a deep breath. "I was caught and kept in a safehouse, unlike you. Though you can say that I suffered hell too." Lucas' grip on her hand tightened. "Kachimov had showed me some of your pictures. My heart roke to see you in that condition but I didn't know that you were alive. He had told me you were dead. I didn't know why I was kept alive. I tried killing myself but they stopped me." Lucas gently kissed the burn mark on her wrist. "I managed to escape, two months after I was caught. I somehow managed to get out of there. My father had a few friends in Russia, people I could trust. And that's how I came back to London." Lauren continued "I decided to leave my old life and begin anew. Without telling anyone abut being back, I just grabbed my stuff and moved here. Now, I'm no longer Lauren South, I am Sarah McDonald." 

Lucas was stunned. He didn't know how to react. Lauren promptly got up and took the mugs inside the kitchen. Lucas followed her. Even after having this discussion, things were still a bit awkward. Lauren began washing the dishes. Lucas stood beside her near the counter, helping her wipe them clean as she passed him the washed plates. "So, you named your dog after your father?! Interesting" he said. Lauren laughed. "It was the only name I could think of, I don't know why" she replied. Despite the cold rain outside, Lauren felt hot. "Come back" she heard him say. Lauren looked up at him. She could see the firm look on his face. "Lucas, I can't. I have a whole new life here. Besides, what would everyone think? I came back from the dead?!" she said and handed him the last plate. "No. They would be happy to see you. Especially Harry. Did you know that he curses himself for not being able to save you? Forget about him then. What about me? All those horrible years, I survived hell only by thinking about you. I was hoping to see you standing next to welcome me back. Listen to me Lauren" Lucas said "I have found you again and this time, I am NOT letting you go. 

Lauren didn't know what to say. She found Lucas' hands gripping her arms tightly, but there was no pain. There was nothing but silence. And then, Lucas felt out of control. His lips crashed into her' kissed him back, her fingers running through his hair. It had been ages since both of them had ever felt this way. They parted for a moment and looked into each other's eyes. They wanted to savour that moment, only to be disturbed by the ringing of Lucas' phone. He whipped it out of his pocket to see Harry calling him. He shut the phone. He moved in and began to kiss Lauren again. Their movements became more fierce and driven by the unsatisfied hunger they felt towards each other. He lifted Lauren and placed her on the counter, pushing her towards the wall while she started unbuttoning his shirt, their lips not leaving each other's even for a single moment...


	11. Chapter 10

Lucas couldn't sleep that night. Seeing Lauren brought back memories, both the good and the bad ones. He remembered when he was being interrogated by Oleg Darshavin and was shown Lauren's photograph. For the first time in 10 months, he had felt a sense of warmth, seeing that photo. Making sure Lauren was asleep, he got up and went to the kitchen to grab a snack. Walking through the dim lit hall, he decided to take a tour of the house.

In the living room, he saw a wooden shelf full of books, neatly arranged. "Bloody Hell, What have I missed?!" he said to himself, picking out the copy of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' from the shelf. I really need to catch up with the series, he said to himself and kept it back. That's when his eyes fell on a copy of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. He knew that Lauren was a person who hated period dramas. Lucas chuckled at the memory of Lauren calling Pride and Prejudice 'one of the most boring books in the history of literature'. And then he couldn't help but smile. Good old Genius!, he thought. Who would have thought of it, North and South! He kept it back in the shelf and saw a picture of them on the mantelpiece. It was taken on his 28th birthday. They had gone out for dinner that night, something they rarely got to do because of their jobs. He saw another picture - a picture of her with her parents. He remembered seeing it for the first time when Harry had asked him to keep Lauren in his house for a few days. "Harry" he said as he remembered about Harry calling him on his phone. He went inside, grabbed his phone and went towards the window to call Harry, who had apparently called him 10 times. 

"Lucas, where the hell were you?" Lucas winced as he heard Harry shout at him through the receiver. "I'm fine Harry. In fact, I've got good news" Lucas said "I found her"."Who are you talking about?" Harry asked. "Lauren?!" Lucas said, seeing Lauren glare at him. He quickly shut the phone and said "What happened?". She extended her hand and said "Give it to me". Lucas had a feeling about it. He handed over his phone and went on to explain the whole situation. 

"Hello Harry" Lauren said. Harry spat his vodka out. He couldn't believe his ears. "Lauren?!" Harry said. He thought it was some kind of a joke, though he wanted to believe it. His happiness knew no bounds when he heard her reply with a "Yes". "But..How...Where...What?" he spluttered. "I'll tell you when I get back. Till then, Good Night" Lauren said and gave Lucas his phone back, who was staring at her with a blank expression. "I don't understand" he said while getting back into bed "You are not angry with me?". "Why do you think I should be angry? In fact, I was planning to call Harry in the morning." she said. "And what was it about you 'getting back'?" he further asked. "Lucas, I have given it a lot of thought. And I suppose I am ready. i mean, five years is a long time to forget all the bad stuff. I think I should get back." she replied "Besides, I won't be alone now". Lucas smiled. "But you need to give me at least a week to clear everything" Lauren continued as she snuggled up to his warm body. Lucas didn't care how much time it would take, the only thing that mattered to him was that Lauren was coming home with him. 

"North and South" he said. Lauren looked up. "What about it?" she asked "Oh". "Yes, I saw it" he said, running his hands through her hair "As always, brilliant!". "I couldn't help myself when I saw it at the book store" she replied "The name got me. And I admit, it's a good book". Lucas hugged her tighter. "I love you, Lauren South" he said, inhaling the scent of her hair. "I love you too, Lucas North" Lauren replied.

Lucas thought it was a dream. He woke up to find himself alone but looking around the room, he was convinced that everything that happened last night was real. "Lauren?" he called out. No one answered. He got out of bed and went towards the window. He felt better because of the overall calmness. No wonder Lauren moved here, he said to himself. He continued to look outside till he felt a Lauren hugging him from behind. He turned around and she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Good Morning, Sleepyhead" she said. "It's just 8 o' clock in the morning" he replied "Besides, where were you?". "Hugo's morning walk" she replied "Why don't you go take a shower while I lay out the breakfast?". "If only you come with me" he said. "I already had the shower. Now hurry up" she said and turned back to go the kitchen.

"Bacon and eggs! looks good" Lucas said, sitting at the table. "What are you going to do today?" Lauren asked him. "I need to meet the asset who I was supposed to be meeting yesterday. Harry said that he will be meeting me near the bridge at around 3 o' clock." Lucas said "What about you?". "I'll be leaving for work in about 30 minutes. I suppose I will hand over my application." she replied. "Where do you work?" Lucas asked. "In the library." Lauren said. "I guess the whole resignation thingy will get over soon. Many people apply for the post, so I guess they won't have a problem with me leaving". "From a spy to a librarian, I'm impressed" Lucas said. "It's not as funny as it sounds" she replied.


	12. Chapter 11

"Home Sweet Home" Lucas said as he and Lauren got out of his car. Lauren had a lump in her throat. Standing in front of Thames House definitely felt like home. It was a strange but wonderful feeling. Lucas pulled her closer towards him. She looked at him to see a reassuring smile on his face. "You alright?" he asked. Lauren nodded and gently squeezed his handed. They went inside the building. 

Ros was frustrated with Harry. Lucas had been gone for two weeks, no one knew where. And she had to do all his work, alongside hers. As if life couldn't get any cruel. She stormed out of Harry's office taking a sip of her coffee only to spit it out in shock. "Lauren?!" she said. It couldn't her long dead best friend, she thought. Lauren smiled. Ros kept her mug aside and hugged her. Lucas was surprised to see the usually cold Ros happy, but he didn't mind. Harry came running out of his, along with Malcolm while the rest of the people were staring at them. But soon returned to their work after they got a stern look from Lucas. "Let her breathe will you?" Lucas said. Ros reluctantly let go of her. Her face turned a bit sad. She secretly wished for Adam to come back like this. "In my office, both of you. Now" Harry said. Lauren gave Malcolm a smile on her way to Harry's office. 

Lauren took a deep breath and sat down opposite Harry, Lucas beside her. "Hello Lauren" Harry said. She could see he was about to cry. "Hello Harry" she replied "I missed you". "I missed you too" he said and looked towards Lucas, who was looking at Lauren. "Now, can someone explain me the whole situation?" Harry said. Lauren looked at Lucas who seemed to say "it's alright". He knew this process is painful, remembering all the bad memories one tries so hard to forget. Lauren began to tell Harry her tale... 

"You could have called me at least" Harry said at the end of Lauren's story. "I know I should have but the whole experience had left me so shocked and scared that I didn't feel like telling anyone about it. I actually wanted to get away from this job." Lauren said "And since you lot already thought I was dead, I thought it would be good for me to get away from all of it". "Who told you that you were presumed dead?" Harry asked her. "Richard Dolby" she answered. Harry's face turned sour. "So you trust Richard Dolby but not your own uncle. Great!" he spat. "That is not the case Harry. In fact, I didn't want you to see me in that condition. It was terrible" Lauren said. She felt Lucas' body stiffen and relax a few moments later. "But the good thing is that everything is fine now. i mean, yes, it would take me time to get used to it but I like getting back." Lauren said "I suppose I just needed a break from it". Harry smiled. He was happy to see Lauren again. She was like a daughter to him and he couldn't forgive himself for whatever had happened to her. And to Lucas. His smile turned to a frown a minute later when Jools Siviter stormed into his office. "Dolby wants to talk to you about Connie..." Jools said but lost track of words after he saw Lucas and Lauren in the office. "Hello Jools" Lauren said. It was an awkward moment for everyone, especially for Lauren to see her former boss. "Lauren! I thought you were dead." Jools said in a shaky voice. He held on to the door for support. "Alive and kicking" she said, trying to sound normal. "We need to talk about this Pearce" Jools said before leaving in a hurry. Something told Lucas that Jools was not happy to see Lauren, but his thoughts were disturbed by Harry. "i guess I'll be going to that meeting. I hope Lucas told you the whole thing with Connie." he said, pausing to see Lauren's face at the mention of Connie's name. "Yes, he did." she replied. "Good. And does Dolby know that you are back?" he asked. "No. But I think you should tell him that." Lauren said. "Bye Harry". "Bye Lauren" Harry said and left. 

"I'll show you around. I mean, there are many new people since we were gone, so.." Lucas tried to say but was interrupted by Ros. "I think I'll do that. thank you Lucas." she said, grabbing Lauren's arm. "You are acting really weird today" he said. "Don't mind him" Lauren said and left with Ros. She turned back to give him a sign of assurance, to which he responded with a smile. "Women" a junior Case Officer murmured. "I know" Lucas said. He turned back to go to his desk to see the work Harry had given him to see that Lauren had forgotten her cell phone. He kept it aside and went throught the files Harry had kept on the desk. 

He stumbled across the photos he got from Moscow. They were the ones which were proof that Connie was a part of Cerberus. But there was something which seemed odd to Lucas. There was one person he didn't expect to be in the picture. But then Hugo Prince was in it too, so it didn't matter. He kept the photo aside and saw Harry come back. "What happened?" he asked. "the meeting got cancelled. The Home Secretary had another meeting with the Prime Minister so it's rescheduled" Harry replied "Where is Lauren?' he asked. "Ros took her." Lucas said "Harry, what was..". But before he could complete his question, Harry had already left. He got up from his hair only to hear the sound of a text alert on Lauren's cell phone. 

'Meet me at the rooftop in five minutes'


	13. Chapter 12

Lucas went up to the roof to see who had sent the message. "Could it be the same man who tried to kill Lauren all those years ago?","Another member of Cerberus?" he thought as he climbed the final step. He opened the door to see Lauren standing near the edge, looking at the view.

"What's going on?" he asked. Lucas wasn't expecting this. "Beautiful isn't it?" Lauren said, "I sent the text. Stupid me, I left my phone at your desk. I just wanted a moment with you, alone". "Why do you do this to me?" he said, wrapping his arms around her. They continued to look at the skyline , enjoying each other's warmth. "I had never thought I would miss this place so much" Lauren said. "Neither did I" Lucas replied "I've missed you so much". "Me too" she said, turning to face him. She could see a warm smile on his handsome face, the love he had for her in his piercing blue eyes. He always made her feel loved. Even when she would nightmares, she would look at the picture of his she kept on the nightstand to feel better. He made everything seem so easy and so good. She kissed the tip of his nose and placed her head on his chest. Nothing could describe her love for Lucas North.

This was exactly what Lucas wanted to come home to. He wanted to see Lauren standing in front of him with that usual smile of hers that would drive all the bad memories away. He remembered nicking a photo of hers from Oleg Darshavin and sticking it on the walls of his cell. It was the only thing that made him feel better after every round of torture. It gave him strength, a reason to live. Just to come home to the person you loved the most. And in the midst of that one moment they got that day, Lucas' phone rang. "He really has the worst timing" Lauren said, reluctantly letting go of him. "He wants you in his office right now" Lucas said after getting off the call "And don't worry, I'll be there." he said, assuring her.

"Are you sure you want to come back?" Harry asked Lauren, who looked at Lucas. He said nothing, but she understood what he meant to say. Lauren turned to Harry. "Yes" she said "I know his sounds stupid but I think that I've got a fair break. And I'm tired of it, so just let me return". Harry said nothing. After a few minutes, he said "Welcome back". Lauren thanked him and looked at Lucas, who had a sour, confused look.

"What happened to you?' she asked. "Nothing, just that when I wanted to come back, he said "No" and now that you asked him the same thing, he readily agreed." Lucas replied "That's not fair". They got out of the lift and walked towards his car. "Stop being childish now. See, you are back. Also, you said that just two days after you were released from Lushanka." Lauren said "I, on the other hand, had a two-year break.". "You always have an answer for anything, don't you?" he said as they drove back to his flat.

Both of them were exhausted when they got back home. They had dinner and went to bed. "Adam had told me this thing, about the job destroying your life." Lauren said. Lucas turned towards her. "Funny thing is, Tom also used to say the same thing" he replied "Are you really sure you want to come back Lauren?" he asked. Who was he kidding, of course she wanted to come back, he thought. Lauren nodded. Lucas remembered the time he came back. He was completely broken. The damage Lushanka had done to him was irreparable. But he still wanted to get back in the field. He sometimes thought whether it was the right thing to do. And almost a year later, he was back to being a spook. He looked up at the ceiling, trying to forget those horrible days when he felt Lauren place her head on his chest. "You are going to be fine, then." he said, kissing her head. "It felt strange without Adam, though" she said. "why?" Lucas asked. He knew Adam and Lauren were close friends as they were former colleagues too. "I thought I would meet him. I mean…there's something I've got to tell you" Lauren said "Adam knew about it, me being alive"."What?" Lucas said, his fingers stopped tracing circles on her back. He looked at her. "He saw me once, like you did. I told him I was not read to come back. He promised me that he won't tell anyone about it, though we kept writing to each other" she continued "I'm sorry". "It's fine" he said "Though you should have said this earlier". "I know" she said "I thought I would let him tell you that but then you told me about his death, so.." her voice faltered. Adam Carter was like a brother to her. Lauren knew about Adam and Ros. Talking to Ros today felt a bit uncomfortable because she knew however hard she was trying, Ros was not completely over his death. She knew how it felt, losing the person you love. Lauren said a silent prayer in her heart, thanking God for Lucas. "Good Night" she said, kissing him. Lucas pulled her towards him after the kiss and kissed her again. She felt as if she was losing herself in it. Lucas gently ran his fingers through her hair. He didn't want to let go of her. After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled out and went to sleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, both of them were woken up by Hugo's barking. "Jeez Hugo, you don't have to create a racket early in the morning" Lauren said, groggy from sleep. She got up and headed to the pour some kibble in his bowl. She saw Lucas, who was sleeping peacefully. She didn't feel like disturbing him, and so went to take a shower. She came out of the shower to find him gone. "Lucas?" she called out, but there was no answer. Just then, she heard the door open and saw Hugo rush inside, Lucas behind him. "Payback!" he said, shutting the door behind him. "So that's what it feels like" she said. He grinned. Lauren laughed and kissed him.

Lucas was busy reading the papers while Lauren was having her breakfast. She heard the text alert of her phone and saw that she had got a text from an unknown number. Lucas looked up at her to see what was wrong. "Nothing" she said. She read the message

"Need to meet you at The Park, alone. Will be there around 10 am. Jools"

Lauren wondered why Jools would want to meet her. She saw the time, which was 9.30. She quickly got up. "What happened?" Lucas asked. "Nothing. I've got to go. Meeting Adam's family." she said. She felt wrong about lying to Lucas, but then, everything has its own reasons. "I'll drop you" he said. "It's fine. You go the Grid. It'll take me only an hour to get back." Lauren said quickly. "Are you sure you'll manage?" he asked. "Lucas, you don't have to worry about me. I'll manage." she said. Lauren grabbed her coat. "Bye" she said. "Take care" Lucas said. She nodded and left. Lucas felt a bit weird about it, but Ros called him to tell him about a new case, so he left for the Grid soon.

"What happened?" Lauren asked Jools, who was sitting and reading the newspaper. He had grown thin since the last time she saw him, but as always was dressed impeccably in a sharp suit. "Good Morning Lauren" he replied "Have a seat". He shifted towards the left to offer her a seat. Lauren sat down. "Jools, will you tell me what the matter is?" she said, sounding irritated. "How did you get back?" he asked. "I know you know how I got back. Harry must have told you this so why don't we just get back to why you have called me...". "I've got a confession to make" he said, cutting her off "But promise me you'll listen to it peacefully". Lauren wondered what he had done now.

"I don't know how to tell you this…er…Lauren, I'm…" Jools said "I'm the person you need to hate the most". Lauren didn't understand. But before she could say anything, Jools silenced her. "I am the mole from 6, the third and only surviving member of Cerberus". Lauren gulped down her coffee. She didn't want to create a scene in the park but shot a dirty look at him. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Yes, I know you won't believe it but I am the last member of Cerberus." He continued "And… I also got your father killed in that accident". Lauren was aghast. She pursed her lips. She let him continue with his story. "Let me guess, you sent those shooters after me and Lucas all those years ago." She said. "It was Connie's plan to track you, since you seemed to have got intel on Anton Smith. I only gave the order" Jools said. "There's another thing I've got to tell you" he continued. "I advised Harry Pearce to….to send Lucas North to Russia". Lauren looked at him. She was disgusted by him. "Let me guess again, you and your friends tortured me for two months" Lauren spat. "They were planning to kill you. But I told them not to" Jools said. "Why?" she asked, her eyes welled up. She couldn't believe that one of the men whom she considered as her father would do something like this.

"I didn't want you to die." he said. "Well, you should have let them kill me. I was dead anyways. You just made it worse" Lauren said. "I..er..I had promised your mother…that I would take care of you" Jools said. "And why would you honor that promise, right after you killed her husband?" Lauren said, struggling to control her tears. Jools lowered his head. "I loved her. More than anyone else in this world". Lauren placed her head in her hands. She found it impossible to believe it. "Yes. I fell in love with her the moment I saw you three at the party. Hugo didn't deserve her. He broke her heart, yet she still loved him." Jools said "I knew she wouldn't love me. But I didn't care." He turned to look at her. "I see so much of her in you, Lauren. I never wanted any of this to happen to you". "But it did, Jools. You ended up ruining my life." She said, getting up "You were right. You really are the man who I should hate the most. I trusted you and you took away everything I loved, including Lucas". "Please, wait. I have to give you something" he said. Lauren turned back. She could see his face tear-stained. He was holding out a memory stick. "It's got the names of all the Cerberus agents in 6 and FSB. Harry Pearce is wise enough to notice any changes in his staff". Lauren took the memory stick. "How am I supposed to know you're not lying?" she said. "I am coming with you" Jools replied. They walked to his car. But before they got in it, Lauren spotted someone. "Who did you tell about the meeting?" she asked him. "No one" he said. "Great" Lauren hissed. "Must be the FSB agents. Viktor Sarkisian must be behind this." he said "I think he doubts me". "Anyone would doubt you, Jools" she said and started shooting in the direction of the gunmen.

She told to Jools to call Lucas from her phone. "Lucas" she said when he picked up her call. "Lauren, what happened?" he asked. He could sense that something was wrong. "It's a long story." Lauren replied. "Right now, I could use a little help here. You know the small park behind Thames House? Just come down soon". "Hold on, 'we'?" he asked. "Jools is with me. We are being shot at by FSB agents. Don't send Special Forces though, a small team's enough." She said. "On it." Lucas said and looked at Harry, who had already dispatched the team. Lucas went along with them. Lauren tried to dodge the other gunman. Jools tried to open the door, but it was locked. Lucas soon joined them. He saw that Lauren's right arm was shot. The team managed to shoot the rest of the agents. Lauren opened the door to let Jools out. "Stay way" she told him. "It's alright" Lucas said, gently hugging her.

Jools was met with surprised looks as he was led inside for interrogation. Lauren was asked to join Harry and Ros. Lucas waited outside with Malcolm, seeing everything through the monitor. Jools told them everything. Harry was disgusted at Jools. He too never thought that someone like Jools could fall to such low standards. Ros kept quite but it was evident that she too was angry at him. The three of them got up to leave. "Can I have a word with you Lauren?" Jools asked. Lauren didn't want to, but Harry told her to wait. "Now what?" she said, sounding irritated. "I'm sorry" he said and broke down. She saw as he cried his heart out. "I didn't mean to do anything I did" he said. Lucas could see Lauren was about to cry. She sat down and held his hand. "It's a good thing that you feel sorry for what you did. Not many people feel that way" she said. "Check my wallet" he said. But before Lauren could say anything, Jools grabbed her gun, put it in his mouth and shot himself. Lauren was stunned. She could feel his hand drop down from her now trembling hand. Lucas broke into the room. He saw blood dripping from behind Jools head. He saw Lauren, who was shivering. He gathered her in his arms, trying to calm her down. Harry and Ros were equally shocked. Especially Harry. Never had he thought that Jools Siviter would meet his end this way.

Before his body was taken away, Lauren remembered to take his wallet. There was a photo of her mother, along with the usual bank notes and credit cards. There was also a letter. It was from her mother to Jools.

"He was telling me about it." Lauren said, trying to remember the conversation she had with Jools that morning. "She told him to take care of me. She didn't want to lose me the way she lost Dad". "Lauren" Lucas said and pulled her towards him. He held her hand in his. "Everything's fine now." He said and kissed her forehead. "Adam was right" Lauren said "It did destroy Jools' life" she said. She placed her head on his shoulder. Lucas gently rubbed her arm, which was bandaged. "I'm glad it's all over" he said. Lauren looked at him. She could see a faint smile on his face, the one which always made her feel better. "Me too" she said. "I'm hungry. Game for some chocolate donuts?" Lucas said. "Yep." Lauren replied. She always admired the way he put all the sadness behind him so fast. She placed her hand in his and they walked out, trying to put everything behind them.


	14. Epilogue

"Can't there be just one day where I don't have to deal with such morons" Lauren grumbled as she shot another terrorist down. "You really keep forgetting what we do for a living" Lucas said jokingly. They ran through the lane, trying to blend in with the crowd. "I'm not complaining" she said "It's just that there needs to be something exciting also". They turned left and hid, so that the other two terrorists wouldn't notice them. They both gasped for air. "How much more excitement do you want?" he asked and turned back to hit one of them with his elbow while Lauren shot the other one. They saw two more terrorists running towards them. Lucas swore and grabbed Lauren's hand as they ran towards the parking lot.

It was dark and silent. There was no one. Lucas and Lauren hid behind a black Audi, waiting for the terrorists to come. "I wanted to ask you something" he said. Lauren heard the sound of footsteps I their direction. They ran, firing in the darkness and hid behind another car. "What?" Lauren asked him. Lucas silently cautioned the parking lot attendant to hide. "Will you marry me?" he said as he shot one of the two terrorists dead. It took a few seconds for Lauren to register the question. "We are in the middle of a shootout and you are asking me to marry you?" she yelled. "Yes. Isn't that exciting?' Lucas said as they moved towards another car after hearing a bullet fired from the opposite direction.

"Seriously?" she said. "Seriously" Lucas replied. Lauren finally shot the surviving member of the group and turned towards Lucas. "You don't have a ring" she said, slumping against the back of a Volvo, tired from the whole shootout. Lucas quickly removed the box from his pocket. "I didn't mean it!" Lauren said, her eyes widening at the sight of the ring. It was a plain, platinum band with a single diamond on it. "But I did" Lucas said, propping down on one knee. "Lauren South, will you marry me?" he asked. "We are in a parking lot of a mall in Leeds." Lauren said "I don't care, though. Yes, I will marry you, Lucas North" she said. Lucas slipped the ring on her finger. They heard the parking lot attendant clap for them. Lucas pulled her for a kiss.

Lauren heard a gunshot. She broke from the kiss to see Lucas pointing a gun behind her. And the dead body of a terrorist. "We forgot about him" he said, pulling her closer to him again. "You are amazing" she said. "And so are you, Lauren. And so are you" Lucas said before leaning in to kiss her again.


End file.
